Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Nebraska Getting Close to Decision

Nebraska "interim" athletic director Tom Osborne and university chancellor Harvey Perlman arrived back in Lincoln on Monday night after a two-day swing that took them to Baton Rouge and Atlanta in search of a successor to fired coach Bill Callahan.

About 20 reporters were waiting at the airport for Osborne, who was asked if he had anything to say about the search. "No, nothing. Thanks for coming. I know you had nothing better to do."

This much is known: Louisiana State's Bo Pelini and Buffalo's Turner Gill have been interviewed. Other names being tossed about include Wake Forest's Jim Grobe and Cincinnati's Brian Kelly. The Omaha World-Herald, citing an anonymous source, said a new coach could be in place as early as Wednesday.

And to correct an earlier report in the World-Herald, a second plane that traveled from Omaha to Atlanta on Monday appears to have no connection to the search. That aircraft is registered to regent and booster Howard Hawks, whose company, Tenaska Inc., operates a power-generating station in Georgia. The five men who deplaned in Atlanta appeared unconnected to the search, the paper reported.